Can-marking machine.



J. J. KIRKBY CAN MARKING MACHINE. APPLIOATIONIILBD JAN. 20, 1909.

980,795. Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

' who Qwi/tvwowo z Momma J. J. KIRKBY CAN MARKING MACHINE. APPLIOATIONFILED JAN. 20, 1909.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JACQUES J. KIRKBY, OF NORWICH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO BORDENS CONDENSEDMILK (10., OF NEW YOB,K, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

, CAN-MARKING- MACHINE.

Patented an. 3, 1911..

a laterally adjustable ru nway, said runway formed from a air of sidewalls 2, ex-

980, 795. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 20, 1909. Serial No. 473,298.

To allwho m it may concern:

it known that I, JACQUES J. KIRKBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norwich, in the county of Chenango and State of New York,have invented certain, new and useful Improvements in Can-MarkingMachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact descriptlon of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in stamping or marln'ng machinesand is especlally designed as a machine for marking cans. I

The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine operating inconjunction with a conveyer from the can capping or sealing machine,whereby a constant feed of the sealed cans is directed to the markingmachine, through which they are fed and automatically stamped or markedduring their passagetherethrough.

Another object is the provision of the ad ustable mountings of theoperating parts, whereby the machine may be used with different sizedcans.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andthe general arrangement of parts, the whole being clearly set forth inthe following description, and the particular features of novelty beingmore distinctly pointed out in the claims.

While the invention is not restricted to the exact details shown anddescribed, still for the purpose of disclosure reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, showing the preferred embodiment of same.

In the drawings the same parts are designated by the same letters in theseveral views. I

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the complete machine, portionsof the outside plate of one of the uprights or standards eing' brokenaway to show the adjustable mountings of the operating wheels, and alsoshowing a ortion of themeans for-conveying the sea ed cans to themarking machine Fig.2 is a central transversevertical section; Fig. 3 isa fragmentary plan view showing the type holder and its position on theprinting wheel, and Fig. 4 isa local plan view of a picker or guideplate.

1 designates a suitable base provided with tending longitudina y of thebase, and

flaring outwardly at their uppei edges, as at 3. Between the base properand the side walls 2 of 'the'trough, may be disposed at bottom late 4,which projects considerably beyond oth ends-of the main base. The sidewalls are held adjustably in osition by means of the angle bars 5-, thesi e walls of the run-way being secur'edto the vertical arms of theangle bars by any suitable means, such as rivets or screws indicated indotted linesat 6 (Fig. 2), and the horizontal arms are slotted toreceive the securing bolts 7.

Centrally. of the base and'bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto,are arranged the uprights or standards 8, consisting of the U-shaped,elongated side posts 9, provided with the laterally extending flan edportions 10, adapted to receive the ace -p ate 11, the whole formingslotted standards for receiving the bearings of the inking and printingwheels. The flanged portions 10 of these uprights form a channeledportion to receive the bearing blocks, as indicated at 12 (Fig. 1),which channeled portion is of greater width than the space or slotformed between the U-shaped posts, as indicated at 13 (Fi 1),,throughwhich latter pass the axles'o the printing and inking wheels and theadjustment bolts for the bearing blocks.

14 designates a pair of blocks disposed in the channels 12' andvertically adjustable bymeans of the set screws or bolts 15, and 16 aresimilar. blocks similarly mounted and held by the bolts 17 On top of theblocks 14 are disposed the bearing blocks 18 for the printing wheel, andthe ends of the shaft 19 of the inking wheel normally rest on the blocks16 when the inking wheel is the shaft 19 are provided to maintain theinking wheel in proper position.

The printing wheel performs the double function of carrying the type orother marke ing medium and also carrying fingers alternating with thetype holders and operating to feed the wheel and at the same time holdthe can in proper relation with the type as,

, 28 are afiixed the feed fingers 29, which may be of the contour shown,and on the opposite projection or radial flange 26 are arranged thetype.

In order to provide an easy means for securing the type in position, theflanged portion 26 is cut away annularly, forming the shoulder 26 toreceive the type, preferably of rubber, and it is further recessed, asat 27*, to receive the vertical plate of the type holder. Theconstruction of this type holder is shown more clearly by reference toFigs. 1 to 3, and consists of the flat plate 30, secured in the recess27, provided with the central enlargement 31, bent laterally as at 32,and engaging a raised portion 33, formed 011 the inner edge of theannular flange 26. By this particular form of type holder it can be seenthat the rubber type may be readily inserted, and as the wheel revolvesin the direction indicated by the arrow, the bent over portion 32prevents the type from being shoved out of position.

34.- designates the guide plate shown in detail in Fig. 4. This guideplate consists of a flat rectangular plate, having a tongue 35 at oneend ada ted to be inserted between the walls 2 of the run-way, and atits other end provided with the short and long beveled legs orprojections 36 and 37 formed by the triangular shaped recess 88, theedges of the legs being beveled as shown.

39 represents a portion of a roller carrying a conveyer belt e0,provided with lugs 41, and adapted to receive a can in front of saidlugs.

In operation as the cans are delivered from the sealing machine to theconveyer belt, they are fed forward to the marking machine, and when thelower side edge of the can strikes the long leg 37, it glides along thebeveled edge 37* until the short legis engaged by the can, whereupon thecan ispicked up by the guide plate 34 and is shoved therealong, whilethe lug 41 passes around the roller 39. The next can pushing on thepreceding one, automatically feeds the cans forward in intermittentsteps, and as each can gets to the printing roller one of the fingers 29is interposed between the two adjacent cans, and as another can is fedon the guide plate 34, the series is pushed forward, the type comes incontact with the top of the can, the finger holding the can in properposition, and the can is fed away from the type as the next canapproaches. The fingers 29 are spaced laterally from the type so thatthey will readily insert themselves between the oppositely disposedcircu lar tops of the can, which they would not do if they were locatedcentrally of the wheel. As each set of type comes around, they are inkedby the inking roller and the operation is automatically carried onindefinitely. It will also be observed that by the arrangement of theadjustable run-way the same may be adjusted to suit cans of diiferentdiameters, and by'the arrangement of the adjustable Wheels the machinemay be adjusted to suit cans of different heights.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In a can markingmachine, the combination of a runway consisting of an imperforate baseplate and laterally adjustable side walls, and a vertically adjustablemarking wheel rotatably supported above said runway, said marking wheelbeing provided with spacing fingers, and the whole arranged to adapt themachine for use with different sized cans, substantially as described.

2. In a can marking machine, a marking Wheel provided on its peripherywith annular flanges, the outside face of one of said flanges beingprovided with a plurality of feed fingers and the other of said flangesbeing provided with a plurality of type holders alternating with saidfeed fingers, substantially as described.

3. Ina can marking machine, a printing Wheel annularly recessed on oneface and '00- operating with a plurality of type holder plates,consisting of a flat plate provided with an enlarged central portion,bent over laterally to extend across said annular recess, substantiallyas described.

4C. In a can marking machine, the combination of arun-way, a printingwheel, means for feeding the cans to said run-way, and picking-up meansfor said cans, comprising a guide plate having one end projecting withinsaid run-way and having its other end provided with a cut away portionforming a short and a long leg provided with beveled edges,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JACQUES J. KIRKBY.

Witnesses:

PAUL M. ELsDEN, HUBERT L. BROWN.

